NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Autumn Mersereau was just 14 months old when her family’s trailer home in Newport News caught fire.
“My grandfather was watching me while my father took my mother to work,” Mersereau said. “In that short time, he ended up falling asleep with a cigarette and the tragedy happened.”
The fire left Mersereau with third-degree burns on her face and upper body. Now, she lives in Georgia, but felt the time was right to reach out to the Newport News firefighter who carried her out of the burning home. She found him through social media, and on Sept. 1, 25 years later to the day, she spoke to him for the first time.
“There’s always been strong connection that I would like to meet him,” Mersereau said. “I want to personally thank him. “He remembered me immediately. We had such a great connection. It was truly better than you could ever expect.”
10 On Your Side spoke with Capt. Jimmy Simonsen, the firefighter who carried Autumn out the burning trailer that night. He said he never would’ve expected this reunion to happen, but that the experience is humbling
“As I can recall, I went back in and went down the hall a little way. There was a toddler in a crib covered with a blanket,” Simonsen said. “When she wanted to reconnect and talk about it, I was just humbled and emotional.”
Mersereau went on to say she’s thankful for all who played a part in saving her life 25 years ago.
“Anybody out there that worked on the fire, paramedics, EMT’s, the pilots that took me to the hospital, nurses, I’m grateful for each and every one of you,” Mersereau said.
“It’s just in this field we’ve all chosen, your actions can have a profound effect on people’s lives and that’s the main reason we’re all here,” Simonsen said.
Both Mersereau and Simonsen say the next goal is to eventually meet each other in person, hopefully sometime next year.